There is much I don’t like about summer, most notably bugs and heat. I don’t like that traffic sounds are louder because I generally have all the doors and windows to my house open. Summer is when every Yahoo in their monster pick-up has their music booming so loudly it’s bothersome even when your windows are up and so are theirs.
Summer is wildfire season, it’s drought season (more drought), it’s the-power-goes-out-because-another-tree-fell-on-the-power-lines season. Summer is lawn mowers, closely followed by weed whackers and blowers. Lordy, how did civilization lurch forward without mowers, weed whackers, and blowers? A mystery for the ages.
And yet… summer is also when the robins sing. They start around 5 am now, when it’s just getting light, and that sound, of birdsong at dawn, is sweeter to my ears than nearly anything save the laughter of children. Summer is when I can hear the cows across the lane munching grass through the long, mild nights. They are beef cows, so the babies stay with their mamas for months, and this occasions some bovine conversation from time to time, and I like that too.
I hear crickets in summer, chirping away, because for them cold weather won’t come around for at least half an eternity. Summer is when I hear the pitter-pitter-thump of 
kittens playing with each other out on the porch. I hear the skunks who live under the porch arguing with each other, and that is sometimes followed the pungent aroma of a skunk making an emphatic point. I kinda like the smell of skunk, if it’s upwind some.
I love the scent of honeysuckle on the evening breeze, the smell of freshly tedded grass hay, and the flavor of wild raspberries picked at peak ripeness. This too, is summer, and I suspect it all feels more precious now–the crickets and robins and moo cows–because my senses are not as sharp as they used to be. I know the day might come when I can’t hear much of anything, can’t taste much, and have little olfactory perception.
The day might come sooner than I think when my bad back or wobbly balance precludes yanking weeds, much less planting flowers all over the property. Plant ye geraniums, while ye may, Grace Ann.
If that winter should befall me, the memories of what I love about summer are going to matter much more than all the reasons I can think of to grumble about warm weather. I will need to recall the flowers and forget the weeds, recall the birdies and forget the monster trucks.
What do you love about summer, despite the heat, bugs, and wildfires?
For starters, I actually like the heat. That’s a good thing given that I live in west central Florida. I live in air conditioning but I keep it set to 80 degrees which some people (like my sister) say doesn’t even count as air conditioned. On the other hand, when it’s over 90 out (forget heat index), 80 is actually cool enough. And I still sleep under a top sheet and light blanket. My partner would rather it be set to 70 (I would be an icicle) but he’s okay with sitting under the ceiling fans instead.
I don’t like the bugs nor our drought nor the resulting fires nor the loud neighbors partying late outdoors. And worst of all, it’s hurricane season until December 1!
I like the summer light and I like the feeling of endless promise. It just seems like something special can happen in the summer that wouldn’t in the fall.
My dad was with you regarding the heat. His idea of warm enough was to get into closed up car that had been sitting in the summer sun. He LOVED doing that, and half the time he’d be wearing a turtle neck too.
I love the feeling of soft new grass under my bare feet, the long days, the explosions of color from the annual flowers we’ve planted. The lightening bugs are out as well as the common night hawks, nesting geese, fox and deer families. Yes, I despise the heat and damned landscaping machinery, and the cost of air conditioning (although grateful to have A/C of course). I will be thrilled to reach October, when the best weather is upon us. In the meantime, I weed and water, weed and water…
I have seen ONE lightning bug this year. That is bad news. Maybe it’s an aberration due to our cold, wet spring, but one lightning bug? That half-way disqualifies the whole season.
I like the smell of freshly cut grass. The honeysuckle. The comparative quiet that falls on the town as all the college students clear out. My hopes grow that this year my tomato plants will excel. I love seeing all the peonies and hydrangeas in bloom around town. I do not love the heat, the humidity, the weeds, the wasps that always manage to get inside the house.
I grew up in a college town and then went to that college. My favorite quarter was summer, when the campus was so quiet, the classes small, and the town more relaxed. Worst time to be in that town? Football weekends. Ye gods and little fishes.
corn on the cob, home-grown tomatoes. A nice warm day next to a swimming pool with a good book (Like a Lord Julian mystery) and a nice cold lemonade.
Corn on the cob with BUTTER!!!
Our summers here on the north shore of Lake Ontario are brief and precious. Having experienced the heat and humidity of DC for 16 years, it was a relief to return home to the warm days (25C) and cool nights of eastern Canada. I can swim at the beach at the bottom of my street. And the long days encourage lots of perennials that I couldn’t grow in the mid-Atlantic to thrive. Here’s looking at you, rhubarb! Of course, there’s a price for all this summer bliss — winter.
Once upon a break up, a friend hauled me up north to spend some time at a lakeside cottage in Kitchener. I came home a much more relaxed, rested, and happy camper than I’d left. Perfect reset, and I do envy you your summers.
Long days (dawn around 5:00 am in Scotland), the occasional hot day when I can sit outside
I love being able to walk…no ice in the summer.
If it’s hot, I get up early and walk then.
Love the summer veggies..corn, blueberries, zucchini
Love listening to the bits in the morning.
And the grass is green….not covered in snow!!!
Summer has come to New Hampshire! I love the sun and warmth. The vegetable garden is planted. I’m building a faux stream around the back yard because it used to run through the basement, which may have been a good idea in 1789 when the house was built. The constant water in the basement rotted out the sills when the house was abandoned in 1935 and again when I inherited it from my Mother in 2009. Now the water from the spring in the upper meadow sheets down across the lawn.
Hopefully by the end of the summer there will be a decorative stream at the edge of the back lawn feeding into a new veggie garden down the hill where the old outhouse was.
I decided the this spot would be OK because the outhouse was never used after the 1930’s and that is now 90 years ago!
Harvest starts now. You mention the hay. Our first cut is lush, but not yet cut. It’s been wet. But there are strawberries coming, new potatoes and chives. The cherry and apple crops look good. The first roses are as big as peonies, which are just finishing. The delphinium still stands, staked to be sure.
Bumper crop of asparagus this spring. It, too, is just over. The spring calves and lambs are acting more mature.
But I don’t do summer well.
I haven’t been outside except for medical appointments for 2 years
I miss summer! I miss seeing the sun in person.
I miss being able to eat summer foods. Lord, I miss figs and tomatoes and berries and corn on the cob. And ice cream. Wow, the list could really go on and on
Blessed be.
Thank you, Marianne
Summer is half a year away here in the Southern Hemisphere, but I’m looking forward to taking my girls down to the local river for a morning swim. We mostly get the place to ourselves so it’s just the local birds and the occasional fish blooping to keep us company. A magical way to start a summer’s day.
Another Florida girl here & I love the rumbling afternoon monsoons that cool the world around 4:30 every afternoon. Hunting for sharks teeth on the beach. Luxuriant growth everywhere. Puddles to play in no matter how grown up I am. Fresh munchies as the citrus gets a second wind. Key Lime Pie!! Tall glasses of tea tinkling with ice. My mockingbird cohorts following me around to see if I scare up anything interesting on the trek to the mailbox. Body surfing. Being able to visit places without stampeding herds of tourists. Tubing fully dressed with a death mask of zinc oxide to keep from frying like a vampire before reaching the pickup zone. Neighbors with boats coming home with too much fish & do I want some? Yum!! Padding around barefoot in baggy shorts & loose tank tops.
Can you tell I adore summer???
Congratulations on the well deserved notice on Kobo. Thomas is a favorite reread from your backlist & not just for the gorgeous hunk on the cover.
I’m one of those people who is eternally freezing, so the warmth of summer is a welcome relief for me. I also absolutely adore floating around in the pool that came with the house, that we were certain we didn’t want, that we thought about filling in and that has become my favorite part of the house! Not that I’m much of a swimmer, barely able to navigate from side to side (avoiding the deep end), but noodles keep my head above water and prove to be my favorite way to relax. And of course, pool parties! Having some of our favorite people splashing around, feasting on great food and enjoying scintillating conversation. It doesn’t get better than this! Stay safe. Stay well everyone!
In summer I loved wading, hearing the winding the trees and the way light dappled through the leaves on the way to me. I also liked hearing the chipmunks and other small critters scurrying around. Now as an adult and living in the desert I look forward to catching the hummingbirds at my feeder, the longer daylight hours and enjoying the much improved HVAC cooling function (a large investment last winter). I always love my dogs even though this is massive shedding season.
Here in the North things are hot and humid as well but haven’t been for long, this weekend will be the first for our local farmer’s market. I love the farmer’s market! All that produce that I would accidentally murder if I were trying to grow it myself and honey harvested a quarter mile away. Best thing about summer- browsing, supporting local family farms, and delicious meals.
I, too, love the Manitoba summer heat and corn on the cob with LOTS of butter. The wonderful fruits and veg at the farmers’ markets. Especially the l-o-n-g days filled with sunlight. It’s my favourite season by far!
I luv bird song in the trees, nests in the gutters, bunnies waiting for their cracked corn, squrel races on the roof and chipmunk races under the plants. Warm, long days and longer quite twilight. Glowing white flowers, night perfume, sitting in the glider and taking it all in. The abundance of the garden. The day everything pops at once. The tinkle of the birdbath bubbler and the blessed sound of bees , happily humming in the flowers. Soft, cool, shade of a red maple. Hands in the dirt, watching my plant babies grow and dreaming of handsome crops of purple tomatoes, heavily fruiting yellow squash, happy red beats, rainbow chard and purple kale. One can dream.
Cats sunbathing in the windows, curtains luffing in the breeze, iced tea and blueberries. Watching all my planning and digging coming to fruition and thinking “I did that”. Such a good feeling to see my garden progress and think next year we’ll try that a different way. Knowing my garden is a work in progress and my pallet. Thinking what can I add this year. Learning. Always learning. Talking, thinking, planning, reading gardening, my happy obsession.
I’ll stay in my own garden. And for a lovely, warm, quite, peaceful, season, all is right with my world.
I love the warm (hot)weather, longer days, birdsong and flowers. Summer has warm sunshine, no need for hats, coats, scarves, boots…I can sit outside on my deck reading…so many things to like about summer that I can’t do in winter. Plus, I hate the cold and wind!